Chris BIll MUSIC

About

Chris Bill's captivating, high-energy performances and compositions offer audiences an engaging and "musically enriching" experience. A New York-based composer and percussionist, he collaborates with both jazz and contemporary artists. Chris holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts from Stony Brook University and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in music composition, studying with acclaimed trombonist Ray Anderson and composer Perry Goldstein. As his career has evolved, Chris has dug in deeper to the jazz tradition and continued to explore the influence of contemporary music on jazz, with his own compositions reflecting this unique intersection.

To create a fully immersive experience, Chris incorporates multimedia, electronics, and other art forms into his work. Always seeking to push beyond musical labels, his latest project involves immersive theatre, improvisation, jazz, and crafting narrative schemes to illustrate programmatic themes. Prior to his move to New York, Chris studied jazz and Modern American Music in Boston, Massachusetts, under the guidance of pianists Nando Michelin, Leo Blanco, and his longtime mentor, drummer Bob Gullotti. He regularly performs at the Jazz Loft in Stony Brook, as well as at venues across Long Island and New York City.

Education

Chris is an experienced clinician and educator, working with students across New York City and Long Island. With a DMA in Jazz Studies and ABD in a PhD of Jazz Composition, he combines his expertise in jazz and 20th/21st-century music to create dynamic and interesting curriculum. His lessons are a blend of technique, reading, history, and student personal interest and goals. As a dedicated jazz drummer, he teaches at his private studio in Midtown, Manhattan.